The alarm goes off ten minutes after you have finally got the baby to go to sleep, beginning a busy day with less than ideal sleep.
Making it to the kitchen you prepare breakfast for your kids and settle on the last blueberry scone for yourself. Being a Saturday, you decide that you will start your endless cycle of yo-yo dieting and mediocre results on Monday.
This is the system of health that many mothers fall into the trap of, but there is a better way that will keep the pounds off beyond your cousins’ wedding.
The weight loss struggle is real. Modern schedules and food selections make losing the muffin top beyond difficult.
While it may be some time before you can compare yourself to the ladies we see in the magazines while checking out groceries, making small choices everyday in the right direction will eventually get you close.
We have compiled some changes you can make to your everyday routine that create a lifestyle of good health and fitness. This will give you a body that can wear those jeans you have been wanting for five years, all while keeping up with the kids’ boundless energy.
- Eat Your Veggies
Parents make sure they add veggies to children’s meals at some point in the day, but are you making sure they are filling your plate too?
Eating the crusts of your child’s peanut butter and jelly while drinking a half cup of milk left on the table doesn’t exactly count as your daily dose of vitamins.
PopSugar reported:
“According to certified dietitian Leslie Langevin, MS, RD, CD, of Whole Health Nutrition, eating veggies is one of the best ways to lose weight because they’re low in calories and carbs and full of hunger-satiating fiber.”
The United States Department of Agriculture recommends about 2 ½ cups of vegetables a day for most adults.
Adding a little to every meal gets your veggies in quick and easy; kale in your morning smoothie, chick pea salad for lunch, and a side of broccoli with dinner, and you’re there.
- Plan Your Menu
Writing down what you are going to eat for the week not only ensures that you are getting a healthy and balanced diet, but saves you tons of money on your grocery budget.
Families typically only have so much they can spend towards groceries, as Mommy Underground has previously reported, so don’t waste your hard earned cash on empty calories.
Knowing what you are going to grab out of the refrigerator when you are hungry can keep you going forward without those two steps back.
Prepare as much of the meal ahead of time, so when you are trying to start dinner with a screaming baby at your feet, you don’t give in and order pizza.
Try cutting up veggies the day you buy them, so everything is ready to go throughout the week. Having fajitas one night, pita pockets with hummus another, and a big salad twice in the week will utilize all those fresh vegetables you chopped.
- Get Your Move On
It is recommended that adults get 60 minutes of physical activity everyday. This doesn’t mean you have to jump right into running 5 miles a day, or wait in the squat bar line at the gym, but making sure you are active throughout the day is vital to a healthy lifestyle.
Stephanie Mannsour, personal trainer and CEO of Step It Up with Steph, told NBC News:
“I tell my weight-loss clients who are not used to working out that they need to start with a mini workout,” says Mansour.
Commit to small feats, slowly increasing your physical activity until you are up to the recommended amount of exercise.
Hitting up the gym is laughable for most moms who are working dawn to dusk just to keep the house in order and everyone fed.
Do some lunges while vacuuming, chest press the baby while you are playing with him on the floor, and walk up and down the driveway while the kids are riding bikes.
- Sleep At Night
This may seem like an obvious one, but way too many mothers need to be reminded of it. With all there is to do during the day, it’s easy to pack your nightly schedule with incidentals that push in to your slumber time.
Getting adequate rest does more than make you feel a little less crazy the next day, it also strengthens your immune system, burns more fat, and boosts your mood.
However, be careful not to try and “catch up” on sleep. Tucking in too early can have negative effects as well, as Mommy Underground has previously reported.
- Pick Up That Glass
Over half of our bodies consists of water, which makes drinking a lot of it important. Staying hydrated speeds up your metabolism and makes you feel more full, according to Life Advancer.
If you are feeling thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Keep water on you if you are out and about, or close by if you are indoors.
Get a fun and bright water bottle that you use, so every time you see it you are reminded to take a sip.
Start your morning with two glasses of water, because you wake up dehydrated, and it helps stabilize your blood pressure.
- Treat Yourself
Holding back from eating sweets makes you want them all the more, causing you to eventually binge.
Treat yourself to a daily indulgence that is reasonable, making sure to pick something that is sure to satiate, not a cheap little packaged cake.
Cindy Moore, MS, RD, director of nutrition therapy for The Cleveland Clinic, told Web MD that “Small indulgences, even once a day, are fine.”
Don’t feel guilty having a piece of dark chocolate with some red wine in the evening as long as it is not in excess.
- Eat Mindfully
Harvard Health did a study that found the “intricate hormonal cross-talk system” that is in your gut needs time to work in order to tell your brain that you are full.
This means that chewing slowly and giving yourself time to digest your food before going in for seconds can save you a lot of unnecessary calories.
Chew each bite of food around twenty times to enjoy it, and to give yourself optimal digestion.
Eating in front of a television or with a friend, chatting can distract you from your meal and cause you to overeat. Consume your meals in a calm environment, paying attention to every bite.
Take to these tips to obtain the level of health that makes you feel you are at your best. Drop those extra pounds once and for all by changing the way you treat your body.
Now is as good a time as any to begin taking baby steps towards healthy habits. Come this time next year and you will be running soccer drills with your son, and steaming veggies like a pro.
Creating new habits are not always easy, but they are possible. Invite your family to take the journey with you, making the change something positive you all can share in.
Please let us know in the comments section if you have benefitted from any of these tips, or if you have a healthy lifestyle plan that works for you.